FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.9.11

యదా తు పరత ఆహారం కర్మవేతనత ఈహమాన: స్వభ్రాతృభిరపి కేదారకర్మణి నిరూపితస్తదపి కరోతి కిన్తు న సమం విషమం న్యూనమధికమితి వేద కణపిణ్యాకఫలీకరణకుల్మాషస్థాలీపురీషాదీన్యప్యమృతవదభ్యవహరతి ॥ ౧౧ ॥
yadā tu parata āhāraṁ karma-vetanata īhamānaḥ sva-bhrātṛbhir api kedāra-karmaṇi nirūpitas tad api karoti kintu na samaṁ viṣamaṁ nyūnam adhikam iti veda kaṇa-piṇyāka-phalī-karaṇa-kulmāṣa-sthālīpurīṣādīny apy amṛtavad abhyavaharati.
[yadaa tu parata aahaaram karma-vetanata eehamaanah sva-bhraatribhir api kedaara-karmani niroopitas tad api karoti kintu na samam vishamam nyoonam adhikam iti veda kana-pinyaaka-phalee-karana-kulmaasha-sthaaleepureeshaadeeny apy amritavad abhyavaharati.]
Word-for-word
yadā — when tu — but parataḥ — from others āhāram — food karma-vetanataḥ — in exchange for wages from working īhamānaḥ — looking for sva-bhrātṛbhiḥ api — even by his own stepbrothers kedāra-karmaṇi — in working in the field and adjusting the agricultural work nirūpitaḥ — engaged tat api — at that time also karoti — he used to do kintu — but na — not samam — level viṣamam — uneven nyūnam — deficient adhikam — more raised iti — thus veda — he knew kaṇa — broken rice piṇyāka — oil cakes phalī-karaṇa — the chaff of rice kulmāṣa — worm-eaten grains sthālī-purīṣa-ādīni — burned rice stuck to the pot and so on api — even amṛta-vat — like nectar abhyavaharati — used to eat.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yadā tu parata āhāraṁ karma-vetanata īhamānaḥ sva-bhrātṛbhir api kedāra-karmaṇi nirūpitas tad api karoti kintu na samaṁ viṣamaṁ nyūnam adhikam iti veda kaṇa-piṇyāka-phalī-karaṇa-kulmāṣa-sthālīpurīṣādīny apy amṛtavad abhyavaharati.
yadā
when
tu
but
parataḥ
from others
āhāram
food
karma-vetanataḥ
in exchange for wages from working
īhamānaḥ
looking for
sva-bhrātṛbhiḥ api
even by his own stepbrothers
kedāra-karmaṇi
in working in the field and adjusting the agricultural work
nirūpitaḥ
engaged
tat api
at that time also
karoti
he used to do
kintu
but
na
not
samam
level
viṣamam
uneven
nyūnam
deficient
adhikam
more raised
iti
thus
veda
he knew
kaṇa
broken rice
piṇyāka
oil cakes
phalī-karaṇa
the chaff of rice
kulmāṣa
worm-eaten grains
sthālī-purīṣa-ādīni
burned rice stuck to the pot and so on
api
even
amṛta-vat
like nectar
abhyavaharati
used to eat.
Jaḍa Bharata used to work only for food. His stepbrothers took advantage of this and engaged him in agricultural field work in exchange for some food, but actually he did not know how to work very well in the field. He did not know where to spread dirt or where to make the ground level or uneven. His brothers used to give him broken rice, oil cakes, the chaff of rice, worm-eaten grains and burned grains that had stuck to the pot, but he gladly accepted all this as if it were nectar. He did not hold any grudges and ate all this very gladly.
Purport

The platform of paramahaṁsa is described in Bhagavad-gītā (2.15) : sama-duḥkha-sukhaṁ dhīraṁ so ’mṛtatvāya kalpate. When one is callous to all duality, the happiness and distress of this material world, one is fit for amṛtatva, eternal life. Bharata Mahārāja was determined to finish his business in this material world, and he did not at all care for the world of duality. He was complete in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and was oblivious to good and evil, happiness and distress. As stated in Caitanya-caritāmṛta ( Cc. Antya 4.176):

‘dvaite’ bhadrābhadra-jṣāna, saba-‘manodharma’ ‘ei bhāla, ei manda’ — saba ‘bhrama’

“In the material world, conceptions of good and bad are all mental speculations. Therefore, saying, ‘This is good and this is bad,’ is all a mistake.” One has to understand that in the material world of duality, to think that this is good or that this is bad is simply a mental concoction. However, one should not imitate this consciousness; one should actually be situated on the spiritual platform of neutrality.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Wanting food from taking wages for work from others, and thus engaged by his brothers in farm work, he did the work, but did not recognize level or uneven soil, less or more. He ate grains of rice, oil cakes, chaff, wormy beans, and rice burned at the bottom of the pots as if it were nectar. When he wanted food from wages, then his brothers engaged him. They thought, “If we engage others all day in work and give only food, we can engage him in the same way without getting a bad name.” They engaged him in wallowing in the mud. He did not understand that by scattering the dirt, the field would become level, and that by digging it up, the field would become uneven. Piṇyāka is the remainder after a machine takes oil from the sesame seed. Phalī-karaṇa is chaff. Kulmāṣa is bean eaten by worms. Sthālīpūrīṣa is the burnt remnants on the pots. This type of food was given by his brothers.
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Source: vedabase.io

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